Results 29,281-29,300 of 35,924 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Government Decision on Exiting Programme of Financial Support: Motion (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: It is interesting to note that in the past three years, a new narrative has evolved. Many people have become experts in economics and terms like OMT are bandied about at kitchen tables nowadays.

Government Decision on Exiting Programme of Financial Support: Motion (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Terms like bailout and precautionary credit line have entered into our everyday vocabulary. We all welcome the fact that Irish people pay more attention to economic matters and perhaps if we had done so in this House and elsewhere in days gone by, we would not be in the position we are in currently. However, we need to get back to a point where we are talking about the weather again instead...

Other Questions: Strategic Investment Bank Establishment (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The European Investment Bank has a good record of success. The second part of the question refers to the bail-in. The ECOFIN communiqué issued last week stated, "As the still to be adopted BRRD bail-in tool will not yet be applicable at the time of the conduct of the [...] stress test, burden sharing will apply, in full". It goes on to say state "Member States will ensure that the...

Other Questions: Strategic Investment Bank Establishment (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 11. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to promote diversity in the banking sector; and when a strategic investment bank will be created. [49200/13]

Other Questions: Strategic Investment Bank Establishment (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: This question pertains to diversity in the banking sector in this State. There was a good discussion on this subject during a recent Private Members' debate. I ask the Minister to clarify whether the Government intends to establish a strategic investment bank in its lifetime, as committed to in the programme for Government, and when it is planned to establish one. I also ask the Minister...

Other Questions: Strategic Investment Bank Establishment (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. What he said was quite interesting. I am aware that things move on, but prior to the election it was a major plank of the Labour Party's manifesto in particular that a strategic investment bank would be established, and this was negotiated into the programme for Government. The Minister is now telling us there is no guarantee that it will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister has indicated that the banks have informed the Central Bank that they have met and, in some cases, exceeded the next round of targets which are pitched at 30%. However, they also told the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform the same thing. It took a great deal of digging on the part of the members of the joint committee before it emerged that 15,000 legal...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: As stated on previous occasions, the Minister is treating the banks with kid gloves. He should light a fire under them, as well as the Central Bank. He is in his third year in office and I am sure he finds it unacceptable that 118,000 mortgages remain in arrears and that 77% of them have not been restructured. These are the figures of failure. When he entered office, the Minister was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 5. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide an update on the mortgage crisis; if he has communicated to the Central Bank that legal letters threatening repossession will not be counted as sustainable offers under the mortgage arrears resolution targets, MART; and the options being explored on the issue of tracker mortgages at State-owned banks. [49577/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage Arrears Proposals (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: We are about to enter the sixth calendar year of a mortgage crisis which has got out of control and doubled during the course of Minister's tenure. Despite efforts and various proposals, it seems it is not waning substantially. There has been much discussion on threats of repossession, the letters issued by the banks, the mortgage arrears resolution targets, MART, and the issue of tracker...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Stability Mechanism (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 2. To ask the Minister for Finance if he is as confident as he was in June 2012 that the ESM will be used to retrospectively recapitalise Ireland’s banking debt; and if this issue was discussed at recent ECOFIN and Eurogroup meetings. [49576/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Stability Mechanism (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: There was a huge fanfare 17 months ago when European leaders agreed to consider using the ESM to recapitalise banks, and at that time the Minister told the Irish people it would be applied retrospectively. However, there is serious concern now that the hope given to the people at that time that the many of billions of euro pumped into our pillar banks would be recouped to Irish taxpayers is...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Stability Mechanism (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Everybody in this House and the majority outside the House want to see the commitment given in June 2012 upheld and delivered. At the time I believed and said publicly that the Minister had oversold that commitment, because retrospectivity was not a part of the agreement. That said, it has been negotiated into some text recently. However, we must listen to the head of the Eurogroup, the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Stability Mechanism (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: Again, I go back to the point that the Government seems to have taken its foot off the pedal in regard to this measure. There was a window of opportunity when Spain was in crisis, which was when this was agreed. I believe many of the European leaders would not have wanted it, but that was when we should have stuck the ball in the net. Now, 17 months further on, it will be a harder job for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Stability Mechanism (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: It was on the agenda, according to the Minister's statement.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Property Taxation Administration (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 17. To ask the Minister for Finance if he regrets rushing through the Local Property Tax Act in view of the problems that have become evident in the legislation. [49197/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU-IMF Programme of Support Issues (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 22. To ask the Minister for Finance the options that are available when Ireland leaves the formal troika programme; and if he will provide an evaluation of each option. [49198/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Economic Policy (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 34. To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the recent comments by Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz that Ireland is facing a lost decade and that austerity never works and his assertion that the cost of bailing out European banks has been paid by Irish citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49199/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 35. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will establish an independent investigation into the handling by the Central Bank and the special manager of the situation at Newbridge Credit Union. [49196/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Credit Unions (20 Nov 2013)

Pearse Doherty: 52. To ask the Minister for Finance the plans for the Newbridge Credit Union building; and the way in which its contents will be valued. [49661/13]